It was a great
pleasure." Evidently he smiled; Lucia would not look up.
Gilbert paced the floor. "He's dead!" he kept repeating, as though to brand
the truth upon his brain. "He's dead!" He paused once and stared down again
at the body.
"He's dead, just as I say," Lopez stated. "Pedro never misses."
As though he had heard his name spoken, the ubiquitous Pedro ambled in,
slowly, and with a bored expression upon his ugly countenance.
"Azcooze, my general," he said. His chief turned. "It is ze damn ranger.
Zey is after us some more."
Lopez never turned a hair. Lucia heard him say: "It is time. I was
agspectin' zem. Ze 'osses?"
"Zey are ready," Pedro informed him.
Pancho paused and considered a moment. "Zey come from ze souse, zose
rangers?"
"_Si_," was the quick answer.
Lopez rose. "Felipe Aguilaw becomes more hefficient hevery day. I shall
make general of 'im yet. _Bueno_, we go."
"Red" had gone over and looked out of the window. Twilight had definitely
come, and the sky was a great sheet of flame. Orange, pink, purple, and
red, the clouds shifted over the face of the dying sun. A king going down
to his death could not have passed in greater glory.
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